Kami Rita Sherpa reaches 32nd summit

Kami Rita Sherpa’s 32nd ascent of Mount Everest landed in the middle of one of the busiest summit windows the mountain has seen in years. The Nepali guide reached the top on May 17, according to Nepal media and other reports, extending his own record for the most Everest summits. Three days later, on May 20, a record 274 climbers reached the summit from the Nepali side in a single day after a spell of clear weather. (thehimalayantimes.com) The cluster of ascents also brought new milestones for Pasang Dawa Sherpa and Lhakpa Sherpa during Nepal’s spring 2026 season. (usnews.com) ### How did Kami Rita Sherpa set the new mark? Kami Rita Sherpa reached Everest’s summit at 10:12 a.m. local time on May 17, according to Nepal’s Department of Tourism as reported by The Himalayan Times. (alanarnette.com) He made the climb with 14 Peaks Expedition and, the report said, was not guiding a foreign client on that ascent. Kami Rita, 55, first summited Everest in 1994 and has held the record for the most Everest ascents since 2018, The Himalayan Times reported. The same report said he had indicated before the season that 2026 could be his last Everest climb, though 14 Peaks Expedition managing director Tashi Lakpa Sherpa said after the summit that Kami Rita would decide at base camp whether to attempt a 33rd ascent this season. (thehimalayantimes.com) ### Who else hit milestone summits this season? CBS reported that Pasang Dawa Sherpa reached his 30th Everest summit during the season, placing him behind only Kami Rita among repeat Everest climbers. The report also said Lhakpa Sherpa extended the women’s record with an 11th summit. (thehimalayantimes.com) Lhakpa Sherpa, described by The Himalayan Times as “the Mountain Queen,” reached the summit at 9:30 a.m. on May 17, becoming the first woman to climb Everest 11 times. Mingma Gelu Sherpa of Seven Summit Adventure told the paper she was descending safely after the climb. ### Why was this season’s summit traffic so heavy? (thehimalayantimes.com) Rishi Ram Bhandari of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal said 274 climbers reached Everest’s summit from the Nepali side on May 20, the highest single-day total recorded on that route. Reuters- and AP-carried reports said the previous one-day record from the Nepali side was 223 on May 22, 2019. (cbsnews.com) The May 20 surge came during a clear-weather break that concentrated summit bids into a narrow window, according to reports carried by AP and other outlets. Alan Arnette, who tracks Everest seasons, wrote that “many more” summits were still expected after the May 20 push. (thehimalayantimes.com) ### How big is Everest’s 2026 spring season? Alan Arnette wrote that, as of May 8, Nepal had issued 1,134 climbing permits to 135 teams across 30 peaks, generating $8.3 million in permit fees. Everest alone accounted for $7.2 million of that total, he wrote. Arnette also wrote that Everest climbers this season came from 55 countries and included 101 women. (usnews.com) A separate season report citing Nepal tourism data said 464 climbers across 47 teams held Everest permits by April 30, with demand concentrated on the Nepal route. ### What happens next on the mountain? May 20 left expedition teams descending from the summit and returning to lower camps and base camp after the season’s biggest summit day. (abcnews.com) Tashi Lakpa Sherpa said Kami Rita would decide after returning to base camp whether to make another attempt this season, while Arnette wrote that additional summit pushes were still expected after the weather window that produced the record day. (thehimalayantimes.com) (alanarnette.com)